"The Importance of Being Coached" After all, what good is key research if you don't share it?

Fascinating article by Audrey Besson-Levine from the Jul/Aug 2012 edition of Financial Management that is worthy of posting. For all who wonder what coaching can do, take a moment to read this summary.

The Importance of Being Coached

 “The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as partnering with a client in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Statistics around the benefits of coaching are scarce, but in 2001 Manchester Inc conducted a study among 100 executives, mostly from Fortune 1000 companies. Its findings suggest that the average return on investment for a company that invested in coaching for its executives is almost six times the cost of the coaching. The benefits ranged from increased productivity, organizational strength and bottom-line profitability to improved working relationships, work satisfaction and teamwork. Coaching can also be used to improve a worker's motivation, or to correct their under-performance, but this tends to be the minority of cases. A coach can be useful when an “A” player is identified and the company wants to develop their talent and build competencies, while team coaching can be a great way to improve the efficiency of a management team.”

 Besson-Levine goes on to describe. “Important things to consider when selecting a coach...

 The benefits a coach can bring to an organization have been demonstrated in many surveys and business cases. The challenge becomes how to find the right coach. A study carried out by the American Management Association found that using external coaches for managers and executives is more effective than internal coaches.

•  Having someone who understands the business world and has completed a recognized certification should be a minimum requirement. A good coach should not be confused with a consultant, a therapist or a friend.

• They should respect their client's agenda and help them find their own answers, rather than bring solutions to the table.

• A successful coach is a facilitator who will help an employee to find their untapped potential and bring it out to reach a new level of competencies. They will be able to challenge their client when required and help them to discover new ways of thinking, behaving, and eventually, being.”

Great article.  I am always grateful for good research and excellent writing.

Have a fantastic year!

Teresa Ray